As a consultant who assists small and medium businesses with their recruitment and growth strategies, one of the most common questions I get asked is: "How much is LinkedIn Recruiter, and is it worth it for my company?"
It‘s easy to see why Recruiter draws so much interest. LinkedIn touts it as an all-in-one talent sourcing platform, promising:
- Access to over 740 million professionals
- Advanced search and filtering capabilities
- Tools to engage candidates with InMail messaging
- Built-in collaboration features
But many SMB leaders hesitate when they see those big price tags, even for the lower cost "Recruiter Lite" package.
In this complete guide, I‘ll break down everything you need to know about LinkedIn Recruiter pricing, including:
- Cost breakdowns for Corporate vs. Lite
- Feature comparison tables
- Estimated cost savings vs. traditional recruiting
- Tips for selecting the right plan
Let‘s dive in!
LinkedIn Recruiter Packages: An Overview
LinkedIn Recruiter comes in two main packages plus customized enterprise options:
Recruiter Corporate
The full-featured Recruiter platform designed for unlimited high volume hiring.
- Starting at $8,999/seat/year
- Everything in Recruiter Lite plus unlimited searches, advanced analytics, etc.
Recruiter Lite
An affordable pared down option offering key Recruiter features
- Starting at $1,199/seat/year
- Caps monthly searches and InMails but adds essential recruiting tools
Let‘s look at what‘s included in each…
Key Feature Comparison
| Feature | Recruiter Corporate | Recruiter Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Member Search Access | Entire LinkedIn database (740M+ members) | Entire LinkedIn database |
| Searches Per Month | Unlimited | Capped at 20 per seat |
| InMail Messages Per Month | 150 InMails | 30 InMails |
| Recommended Matches | ✅ | ✅ |
| Analytics Dashboard | Full suite of analytics | Limited analytics |
| Collaboration Tools | Full suite | Basic collaboration tools |
| Premium Support | ✅ | Basic support only |
| Ideal For | Large corporate recruiting teams | Startups and SMB recruiting teams |
Estimated Cost Savings
According to LinkedIn‘s own 2022 Global Talent Trends report, their customers see significant cost per hire savings using Recruiter compared to traditional recruiting methods:
- 27% lower cost per hire than job boards like Indeed or Monster
- 45% lower than hiring agencies and headhunters
- 38% reduction compared to employee referrals
For a 500 person company filling 25 roles per year, these savings can really add up:
| Recruiting Method | Est. Cost Per Hire | Total Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Job Boards | $1,227 | $30,668 |
| Agencies | $4,000 | $100,000 |
| Employee Referrals | $1,970 | $49,250 |
| LinkedIn Recruiter | $894 | $22,350 |
And this analysis doesn‘t even factor in the added benefits of finding higher quality talent through LinkedIn‘s network and advanced search features.
Clearly, Recruiter delivers outstanding ROI – if utilized properly.
How Should SMBs Evaluate LinkedIn Recruiter?
With corporate pricing starting at nearly $9,000 per seat, I‘m often asked:
"Isn‘t Recruiter mostly intended for huge companies? Is it really worth it for SMBs on tight budgets?"
The answer is: it depends. Here are a few key considerations:
Team Size and Structure
For solopreneurs and early stage startups doing minimal hiring, even Recruiter Lite may be overkill initially. The free LinkedIn Jobs board could be sufficient.
However, once you start building out a talent acquisition team, even part-time, Recruiter Lite starts to warrant a closer look. The collaboration features enable easier hand-offs between hiring managers.
Mid-size companies filling a high volume of roles would be smart to explore Recruiter Corporate and consider the ROI on unlimited searches and InMail messages.
Current Costs and Pain Points
Take an honest look at what your team currently spends on job board fees, agency costs, employee referral bonuses, etc.
Then examine pain points with existing recruiting methods:
- Are enough quality applicants applying to open roles?
- How often do candidates fall through late in the hiring process?
- How seamless is collaboration across your distributed hiring team?
Any major unresolved pain points are signs Recruiter could drive tremendous value.
Long Term Outlook
Consider whether current economic uncertainty might require flexing team size in the next year.
With industry experts forecasting ongoing talent shortages across critical roles, Recruiter can provide needed support to adapt.
For most SMBs, Recruiter Lite strikes the ideal balance of essential features and affordability. But every leadership team should carefully weigh variables like those above before deciding.
Getting Started: LinkedIn Recruiter Free Trials
If you‘re still on the fence about whether LinkedIn Recruiter fits your budget and needs, take advantage of their 7 day free trials:
Start a Recruiter Lite Free Trial
Or
Start a Recruiter Corporate Free Trial
These no-obligation trials allow you to experience the platform first-hand with no credit card required.
You have nothing to lose! Give it a test run searching for current open positions, experiment with InMail messaging, and access available analytics.
From there, you can make an informed decision about potentially investing for the longer term.
The Final Verdict?
While the full Recruiter Corporate package offers unmatched capabilities for higher volume corporate recruiting, Recruiter Lite provides a compelling balance of essential features at accessible SMB pricing.
Just be sure to accurately evaluate your current recruiting costs, pain points, and future team needs before deciding.
And take full advantage of those 7 day risk free trials!
Have any other questions on determining the right LinkedIn Recruiter package for your small or mid-sized business? Drop them in the comments below!
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